Fair And Clean  And Refreshing

The opinion article "Not so fair and not so clean" (July 27) misrepresents the facts about the New Jersey Fair and Clean Elections Act. Based on other successful state systems, the law is a good step toward putting voters first in our political process.

In states including Arizona, Maine and North Carolina, public financing of elections is working. More incumbents are facing primary and general elections chal lengers, and candidates like the system. In a recent survey, nearly 90 percent of candidates in Maine say they are definitely or very likely to use the system again. Clean Elections candidates make up 84 percent of the Maine legislature and nine of 11 statewide offices in Arizona. More voters from diverse backgrounds are becom ing engaged in the political process.

In today's era of pay-to-play politics, in which elective offices all too often go to the highest bid der, it's refreshing to see the re sults of Clean Elections  more competition, fewer campaign dollars and more candidates from diverse backgrounds running for office. Now, that's fair.

 DAVID DONNELLY, Roosevelt. The writer is national campaigns director for the Public Campaign Action Fund.